The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on Tuesday set aside the Delhi government’s termination notice removing 201 Mohalla Clinic staff from service until the next hearing.
The Tribunal observed that the government had prematurely ended their active contracts and issued a fresh advertisement to recruit replacements, allegedly violating established norms.
The Tribunal has also issued a notice to the government’s counsel to appear before it on 20 November in the matter.
“The work against which such applicants have been selected and appointed was continued under the employment of respondents all along for more than six years and the contract was likely to end on 31.03.2026. However, without there being any valid reason, the respondents (Delhi government) have issued the impugned notice of termination of employment of the applicants and in their place, they intend to select and appoint freshers for which the respondents have issued notice for walk-in interview... the action of the respondents is contrary to the law laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court in a catena of cases,” the order copy read.
“In the facts and circumstances, as an interim measure, the respondents are directed not to terminate the services of the applicants till the next date of hearing...,” it added.
On 30 October, the Delhi government issued termination notices to the staff of 201 Mohalla Clinics following their closure, affecting over 600 healthcare workers. The decision was soon challenged before the CAT by the affected staff.
The petitioners said they were recruited on contract in 2019 after clearing a written examination and that their contracts remain valid till March 2026.
According to the Mohalla Clinic Staff Union, the abrupt move has rendered hundreds of contractual doctors, pharmacists, and assistants jobless overnight.
They claimed that the government had earlier assured them of absorption into the newly rebranded Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, but no such step was taken before the closures began.
“We were assured by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during the Janata Darbar held on 16 October that all existing Mohalla Clinic staff would be adjusted in Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. However, the government has started shutting down more clinics without providing jobs to existing employees,” said Jitender Kumar, president of the Mohalla Clinic Staff Union.